Sunny Days
by zomochi
Summary: Kakashi Hatake is a genius. He graduates the Academy at age 5, and is assigned to the jounin Minato Namikaze following controversy over putting a 5 year old on a genin squad. Fatherly!Minato and Child!Kakashi. Family fic. What Kakashi's childhood would have been if Minato had been more involved when he was younger.
1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1

Sunny Days

A/N: Hi everyone! This story is my take on Kakashi's childhood if Minato had taken a more active role. It will be focusing a lot on the father/son and teacher/student relationship that Minato and Kakashi have. Enjoy!

o-o-o-o-

"A student?"

"Yes Minato, a student." The Sandaime Hokage finished the scroll he was writing and set the ink to dry. He turned to the young jonin kneeling before him. "This year we have a student who graduated a bit early. He's a prodigy, and there's been some controversy about placing him on a genin team. For the time being I thought it would do him well to have a jonin instructor to himself until we get things sorted out." he said, carefully observing Minato's face for a reaction.

The blonde's face lit up. "I wasn't expecting to get a student so soon! He graduated early, did he? How old is he?"

"He turned five this September."

Minato stared questioningly at the Hokage. "Five?"

"You see, the boy is Hatake Sakumo's son. He's the genius of this generation. I don't think I've seen anyone like him in years. He's inherited his father's brilliance." Hiruzen continued explaining as he pulled out a file and handed it to Minato. Minato's eyes scanned the paper. The boy was Hatake Kakashi. Five years old. Passed the exam with flying colors. He had unruly silvery white hair and wore a mask that covered the lower part of his face. Minato also noticed that his mother was listed as deceased. "So you'll take him on as your student?" The Hokage asked.

"Of course! When can I meet him?" Minato said. He could almost feel the excitement surging through him. His own adorable little student to train and mold and take on missions!

"Tomorrow morning, Training ground 3. He'll be there. Take good care of him Minato, he can be… A little rough on the edges." The Hokage answered. And with that, Minato left the Hokage's office and went off in search of his own sensei.

o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

"Sakumo's son?" Jiraiya said while rubbing his chin thoughtfully. Minato had found Jiraiya and they were sitting at a table in a restaurant. "Now that you mention it I do think I've met the kid. He's a cheeky little thing. Cute, though. Sakumo has trained him well." Jiraiya said as he sipped his drink.

"Hm. The Hokage said he could be a little rough. I think we'll get along great." Minato said. He had sought out Jiraiya after he got the news from the Hokage. A little advice and information about his student couldn't hurt either, seeing as Jiraiya was good friends with the boy's father.

"Well, in any case, teach him the basics, and just use my teaching methods. " Jiraiya said.

"Sensei, all you did was take me to hot springs and have me cover for you while you peeked to the women's side…" Minato said.

"That was valuable practice in some of the most important skills a ninja should have!" Jiraiya cried. Minato laughed. He and Jiraiya had been so busy lately it had been a while since they had just gotten to spend time with each other. "Regardless, watch over him. He's lived his life in his father's shadow, so let him understand that he can work at his own pace." Jiraiya said, taking one last sip of his drink.

Minato nodded. He would nurture this boy, and train him to be a respectable shinobi.

o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

Minato arrived at the training ground early the next morning. He couldn't sleep due to the excitement of meeting his young student. Upon his arrival, he was surprised to see the young boy already there. "You must be Namikaze-sensei."

Minato was taken aback. "You can call me Minato-sensei. I'm not one for extreme formalities. You're here early, aren't you? Excited?" Minato smiled warmly.

"It is a shinobi's duty to be on time, or earlier if possible." Kakashi said.

Minato stared at the child. The boy was only 5 but had such a serious air to him that if it weren't for his small stature, Minato would think he was much older. "Well, in any case, we're both here now. Why don't we say a few things about ourselves, and then do some basic training exercises so I can get a feel for your abilities?" When Minato mentioned training he seemed to get Kakashi's attention. Kakashi nodded. "Excellent, I'll go first. My name is Namikaze Minato. I'm 20 years old, and a jounin. I like spending time with my friends and reading. My dream is to one day be Hokage and protect the village."

"I'm Hatake Kakashi. I'm 5, but you already knew that. I don't like anything, but if I had to pick I would say dogs. I don't have a dream." Kakashi finished. He seemed satisfied with what he said.

"C'mon, Kakashi. There has to be something you want to do with your life! It can be something really small or simple, even." Minato urged. His student seemed devoid of any emotion.

"I am a shinobi. A shinobi is tool for the village. I don't have a dream." Kakashi said.

Minato sighed. "That's fine, then. You don't need to have a dream right now. You have plenty of time to get one." Minato grinned. "Now come at me with all you've got!" And with that, the small boy launched into action.

o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o

It was late afternoon, and the sky had turned orange. It was getting late. "Alright, I think that's enough for today. I think I have an exact feel for your skills. We spent almost all day out here didn't we?" Minato said to his student who was on his back, laying on the grass panting. Kakashi nodded, too exhausted to say anything else.

"Well, you worked hard today. I'm expecting great things from you!" When Minato looked again, the boy was fast asleep on the grass. He smiled again. "Then again, you really are only a child." He said to himself. Minato studied Kakashi's sleeping face. When he was asleep, his intense, haunted gaze was gone and had such an adorably innocent look to him. Minato gently scooped the child up, careful not to wake him. Kakashi stirred, opened an eye drowsily to see Minato, then returned to sleep. Minato smiled again. The fact that Kakashi was letting Minato carry him made Minato's chest fill with a strangely paternal sense of happiness. The boy was very standoffish and seemed reluctant to show trust or affection openly.

They had spent the entire day sparring, with brief breaks only for food. Minato himself of course barely broke a sweat, but Kakashi held up well considering his age. He was ridiculously talented. Of course, some of it came from being trained by Sakumo, but a lot of it was just pure talent.

Minato carried the boy on his back to the Hatake compound. Minato had studied Kakashi's file extensively. He knew exactly where Kakashi lived. He entered the home and quickly located Kakashi's room, which was easy seeing as it was the only bedroom that wasn't covered in dust. Minato placed the boy on his futon and examined the room. There was a desk, a bookshelf and some reading materials. There was an entire shelf dedicated to ninja tools. On the top shelf there was a chakra sabre. Minato knew it to be Sakumo's. Minato noted that the room was simple and mature, much like Kakashi himself. There wasn't a toy in sight. He turned to look at Kakashi one last time before exiting the room. The boy was fast asleep.

As Minato exited the house and began his walk home, he felt a pang of anger towards the Hokage. How could he let a five year old live alone in the house where his father committed suicide? Minato understood the rule that shinobi are seen as adults regardless of age in technical matters, but Kakashi was still five. And Minato refused to let the boy live alone in that dusty old compound. Satisfied with his new resolve, Minato headed off for the Hokage tower.

A/N: Chapter 1 complete! it's a little short, but I'm working on 2 right now! please leave a review if you liked it!


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

Sunny Days

A/N: Hi everyone! Here's chapter 2! Remember to leave reviews as they really motivate me and make me happy! I've also plotted the course for this fic, and I've decided that this will run up until Minato's death. I have plans for Kakashi taking the chunin exam, as well as meeting Kushina, and who can forget Obito and Rin? Anyway, enjoy!

o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

The Third Hokage sat in his office, rolling another mission scroll and placing it next to the others. He let himself sigh with content, as his day's work was done. It was night now, as the sun had just set. Just then, he heard a knock on the door. "You may enter." he said.

Minato entered the room and kneeled before his Hokage. "Hokage-sama. I have returned from training with Kakashi."

"Oh? And how did it go? How was he?" The Third Hokage gave Minato his attention.

"It went great. I understand what you mean about him being rough. He's had a troubled life. But that's not what I'm here to talk about. I understand that he's been living in the Hatake compound by himself?"

"Yes. As there are no other members of the Hatake clan left, he is the only living there. And since he is a shinobi, he has the right to live on his own, even at his age."

Minato's fists clenched. "But he's just a boy! With all due respect, I think it's foolish to let him live in a house full of bad memories by himself." Minato protested.

"Minato, are you suggesting that you would want to take custody of him?" The Third Hokage studied Minato's determined visage carefully.

Minato was silent for a moment. The boy he had met today was quiet and serious. Some would say he was arrogant, but Minato knew better. Under his cold facade was a broken child dealing with life's tragedies by bottling them up. Minato met the Hokage's eyes. "Yes. I want custody of him." He said firmly.

The Third Hokage sighed. "You've only met the boy today and he's grown on you this much? Are you sure? He's had problems getting along with his teachers and classmates. Training him is one thing, but being a caretaker is on a whole different level. I want you to think carefully."

Minato's gaze softened. "I look at him and I see his loneliness. I can feel it. And I think about my own childhood and I can't stand the thought of him living in that dusty old house alone. He is the son of my sensei's friend and my first student. I will not sit by and watch him be alone. Not if there's something I can do about it." Minato said looking up at the Hokage. He was determined now.

The Third Hokage let out a laugh. "Very well then. You've made a good case for yourself and the boy. You may watch over him if he agrees to it. I recommend taking things slow, and getting to know him and then proposing to have him move in. He's been on his own for a few months now, he's grown accustomed to being alone. I wish you good luck Minato. Your doing a good thing."

Minato rose to his feet and bowed respectfully and thanked the Hokage before exiting his office. Once he was in the hall Minato felt like jumping for joy. It was all too exciting! He had to fix up his little apartment, which luckily had two bedrooms, one of which he used as a spare room for guests. He had to tell Jiraiya and Kushina as well. He hopped along buildings searching for Kushina's little apartment. He had been officially dating her for two years now, and her apartment was a short distance from his own. He landed on her balcony and tapped on her window. Inside, the apron-clad jinchuuriki spotted him and rushed to the window, grinning.

"Minato! Just in time for dinner!" She said, pushing open the window and letting him in. He smiled and hopped in, hugging her and planting a quick kiss on her cheek. She laughed. "What's got you so happy today? It was your first day of being a sensei! I'm assuming it went well?"

Minato scratched the back of his head "Well, yes. He's a real prodigy Kushina. He's quick and smart, oh! And clever. He's five and he sure knows how to use his size to his advantage." Minato continued talking about his long day of training with his student as Kushina ushered him to the table where she began serving food before taking her own seat.

She loved seeing Minato so animated and full of life when she talked about this child. She rested her head in her palms as she listened to Minato describe how Kakashi blocked a kick that would have normally been impossible for a genin. "He sounds like a bit of a handful to me. He must be a talented boy, but I heard rumors of him from Michiko at the academy." Kushina's face turned serious. "She said he's an arrogant little thing who disregarded his classmates and teachers. Apparently, after his father died he stopped coming to school. When he did return, it was only to take the graduation exam." She looked at Minato. She was concerned for him and his student.

"Well, that's another thing I wanted to talk to you about. See, he's been living in the Hatake compound. Which is now a big empty property seeing as all the remaining Hatake have died off. When I look at Kakashi I can almost feel his loneliness. He's so young, Kushina. He's so mature it's easy to forget that. Which is why I went to the Hokage, and asked if he could live with me." Minato said.

"You…What?" Kushina blinked. She was confused.

"I asked the Hokage if I could watch over him, and he agreed. He has darkness in his heart, Kushina, and he won't get any better living alone." Minato said.

Kushina blinked again. Minato was going to take in the boy who's father was scorned by the village to the point of committing suicide? "Are you sure? You just met him today! How can you be sure it will work out? I've heard rumors, Minato. Awful things. He didn't cry when his father died. He didn't go to the funeral. He picks fights with people he doesn't respect."

Minato smiled reassuringly at her. "Kushina. He is a young boy, and he's internalizing his suffering. He doesn't know that there are people who are there for them. And as his teacher, I want him to know and understand that I will always be there for him. " He said calmly. He wanted Kushina to understand. "I'm not going to leave him alone."

Kushina sighed before breaking out into a giggle. "You really are the kindest man I know. And that's why I love good care of him. After he moves in with you, I'd like to meet the little squirt."

Minato grinned at his girlfriend. "Of course."

o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

Minato woke up early the next morning. Knowing Kakashi, he would be at the training grounds early again. Minato was making a mental plan. He couldn't just come out and ask Kakashi to move in with him; that would just confuse the boy and he would refuse. He was still too distant. They had only known eachother for a short time after all. Minato wanted them to build trust. He would train and oversee Kakashi as normal until he felt like Kakashi could trust him completely.

Meeting Kakashi at the training ground every morning became routine, and they would train all day, and a couple days they would do D-rank missions. Minato could feel their relationship slowly building each time they sparred, and he could see the progress in Kakashi's form. Minato began noticing his little quirks. Like how he would cross his arms and look embarrassed when Minato would ruffle his hair affectionately. Minato noticed how Kakashi preferred eating at home or away from crowds, as less people would see him with his mask off. Minato thought Kakashi was adorable when he tried to escape Minato's hugs and hair-ruffles in public claiming that he wasn't a little kid although Minato felt his heart melting the first time he hugged Kakashi and the small boy didn't squirm or try to escape. He didn't hug back, but with Kakashi, Minato knew that he would take what he could get. The weeks had passed quickly and soon they had been teacher and student for about a month. Minato still hadn't felt it was time to ask Kakashi how he felt about moving in with him. But the one thing he did know was that Kakashi was sick of doing D-rank missions.

"Minato-sensei, our abilities are wasted on catching cats. There are plenty of genin that can handle these missions." Kakashi was holding a particularly feisty black cat and was covered in small scratches. He looked so small and angry and cute that Minato wanted nothing more than to take a picture just to document the moment.

Minato laughed. "Kakashi, look at you, all covered in cat scratches!" Kakashi huffed and repositioned the cat in his arms.

"It's meaner than it looks. It's claws are sharper too." Kakashi said, justifying his "battle wounds".

Minato laughed again before taking a careful look at Kakashi. It had been about a month that they trained together. Maybe he was ready for something more. "It has been a while. Maybe we're ready for a mission outside the village. " Minato said thoughtfully.

"Really?" Kakashi looked excited. At least as excited as the boy could look, considering half of his face was covered.

"Yep. When we go back to the Hokage Tower I'll see if there are any C-ranks available. Be ready to head out tomorrow morning, just in case." Minato said. Kakashi nodded, and the cat squirmed in his arms again. Kakashi sighed and wrestled with it again. Minato laughed at the sight of the 5 year old and the little cat. "Well, lets wrap this mission up, shall we?" And with that, the teacher and his young student took to the rooftops.

A/N: Chapter 2 done! Thank you for the reviews! This wasn't going to get finished for another couple of days, but your reviews really motivated me! Anyway, next chapter- The first c-rank mission! ~ who can guess when Minato will ask Kakashi to move in?


	3. Chapter 3

Sunny Days

Chapter 3

A/N: Hi guys ! sorry for the late update! I started college and I've just been settling in. I'm trying to come up with a normal update day for this fic, and I'm thinking Fridays maybe? Well, anyway, Here's Kakashi and Minato on their mission!

o-o-o-o-o-o

It was the break of dawn in Konoha. Minato had received a mission scroll. He grinned to himself as he leapt across rooftops to the village gate. Kakashi had grown so much in the past month. Minato had begun to learn his quirks and habits, and in return, the 5 year old was gradually becoming more comfortable around Minato, despite the high walls he put up with everyone else. Scanning the ground he noticed a small boy sitting by the gate, backpack on the ground next to him. "Good morning Kashi-chan!" Minato had flashed to the spot behind the boy, using the marking he had placed on him.

Kakashi instinctively jumped up at Minato's sudden arrival. "M-minato-sensei! Don't call me that!" Kakashi huffed indignantly as he crossed his arms in front of his chest. Minato thought he was positively adorable. "And you're late."

"About that. It took a while getting a decent mission from the Hokage. We're going to be doing a simple infiltration mission. We're going to a checkpoint between Suna and Konoha, and we're retrieving files." Minato said as he pulled the mission scroll out of his flak jacket.

"If this mission is infiltration, why is it only a C-rank?" Kakashi questioned.

"Good question. It's because the checkpoint isn't a military one. It's a merchant checkpoint, where goods are inspected before passing into a different territory. Our mission is to retrieve a jutsu scroll that was confiscated by Sunagakure at that checkpoint. There shouldn't be any armed guards, and the merchants who run the checkpoint and just merchants. They're all civilians. So really, there is little to no chance of us even seeing action." Minato said rolling the scroll up and returning it to his pocket.

Kakashi looked visibly disappointed at the prospect of not fighting. "What's the use of training so hard if we aren't going to fight? What good is a tool that isn't used properly?" Kakashi's voice had grown loud. The young boy stared hard at the ground.

" _Where did this all come from_?" Minato thought. "Kakashi. Look at me." Minato's voice was stern. Kakashi continued staring at the ground. Why did this boy see himself as a mere tool of the village when Minato saw him as something so much more? Minato's voice softened. "You aren't a tool. And no one sees you as one." No response. Kakashi's gaze was fixed on the ground. Minato sighed. "This is your first C-rank, so we're taking it easy. It might even be fun. Okay?" He walked over and ruffled Kakashi's hair, to which Kakashi routinely swatted at his hand playfully, which Minato took as a good sign and laughed. "Let's head out." And with that, they took to the trees.

o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

They had been travelling the entire day. Minato saw the sun begin to set and glanced over to his young student, who was keeping pace beside him. "We should make camp. We'll get there in the morning."

"If you're stopping because you think I'm tired, I can keep going. You don't need to baby me." Kakashi said. He may have said that, but Minato knew exactly what his limits were.

"No, I'm saying we should make camp so we can rest and make a detailed plan. Infiltration may sound easy, but we need to plan things through perfectly. I see a clearing up ahead." Minato said. Kakashi would be no good if he was falling asleep throughout their mission tomorrow. They needed rest.

Upon setting out their mats. Minato pulled out a pouch of soldier pills. "Here, I'm sure you've read of soldier pills. The nutrient packed 'food' shinobi eat to sustain themselves during missions. Tell me, Kakashi. Why do we eat soldier pills?" Minato had decided he might as well continue teaching.

"Soldier pills contain the vitamins and minerals needed to sustain our bodies. As well as taking up a very small amount of space, they are odorless which prevents shinobi from being detected." Kakashi said as he picked up one of the round pills. He sniffed it, and pulled down his mask to eat it before quickly pulling it back up again. He wrinkled his nose in disgust. "They are also known to taste horrific."

"Correct! It's the price we must pay. We're shinobi, after all." He grinned. "It's almost like we're camping. Jiraiya-sensei used to take me on his travels a lot when I was young. You know Jiraiya, right? He was a friend of your fathers." Upon mentioning Kakashi's father, Minato knew he had made a mistake. Kakashi visibly stiffened and turned away.

"...Are you going to keep running away, Kakashi?" Minato said gently. There was no response. "Kakashi. Say something." Kakashi, who was still turned away, gave a slight shake of his head.

"There's nothing to say. I'm not running away from anything, ..man...is no father of mine." Kakashi's voice had an icy edge. Minato could feel the rage and hurt almost physically emanating off of Kakashi. "I'm going to scout the area." Kakashi took off without looking back at Minato. Minato shook his head and sighed. He wanted to talk to Kushina. She would know what to say, what to do. He could almost imagine Kushina giving him hugs so fierce that he wouldn't be able to squirm away. He smiled to himself. He wanted Kakashi to be happy. He looked up at the night sky, spotted with stars. He relaxed for a while and waited for Kakashi to return.

When it had been a while he focused on locating Kakashi's chakra. He was a little way out from camp. Suddenly the Kakashi's chakra flared, and Minato jumped up. Two chakra signatures he hadn't recognized had appeared and seemed to be attacking Kakashi? A trap? Panicking, Minato sped off in the direction of the Kakashi's chakra. He would not let anything happen to Kakashi.

o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

Kakashi walked along the forest edge angrily. He hadn't meant to snap at Minato-sensei. But thinking of his father made him so angry and confused that he had taken it out on Minato. He shook his head and furiously scrubbed his eyes of any possible tears. Shinobi don't cry. It's against the rules. He thought of Minato-sensei. And how he made everything seem warm and friendly and happy. Minato hadn't pushed him off to the side even with his cold demeanor and stoic personality. Minato made him feel like he actually was a child rather than just a weapon of the village, which he hated but sometimes secretly enjoyed; which he would never admit. Suddenly, he sensed two people. Two very powerful people. His head whipped around. He couldn't locate them, but they were close. Had they been following him and Minato-sensei this whole time?

"Hey kiddo, we know you sense us now. No need to be so sneaky." From up in a tree, a shinobi spoke. Another one one sat on the branch next to him. They weren't wearing headbands.

"Who are you?" Kakashi asked. He knew they weren't friendly, but he had to make sure before he engaged them in a fight.

"Now, that doesn't really matter. What does matter is that you're the student of Konoha's Yellow Flash. And we need him for something. So we're gonna take you with us, and your sensei will come see you at our base. And then once we get what we need we can all go our separate ways. How does that sound?" The same shinobi spoke again. He looked like a rogue nin, as he didn't wear anything that was from a specific village.

"Why are you using me as ransom? Why are you following us?" Kakashi was buying time as he examined their weapons. He could try and gauge what kind of shinobi they were and how fast they were among other things. Anything that could give him an edge.

"That's just rude. Didn't your parents teach you any better, Hatake Kakashi? Oh that's right, you're mother is dead and The White Fang killed himself. The Hidden Leaf is adorable, by the way. Just about anybody could waltz in and request a mission. And getting access to your files wasn't hard either." The man was grinning now, although his grin was full of an evil malice. The other ninja next to him continued looking bored.

" _The entire mission was a trap? They want to get to Minato-sensei?_ " Kakashi thought. He had to escape and warn Minato-sensei. Kakashi decided to take off into the woods and head back to the campsite. Right when he began dashing off into the woods as fast as he could, he felt a ninja wire wrap around his ankle.

"Well, that was a little too easy. Kenta, use the sleep toxin. I don't want him doing anything tricky."That was the last thing Kakashi remembered before everything went black.

o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

A/N: ooh ~ cliffhanger! Thank you everyone for reading and sorry again for the late update! Please remember to leave a review if you liked it! and the two rogue nin are Kenta (the quiet one) and Shu (the loud ~witty evil one)!


End file.
